Sawant was back in her old stomping ground at last week’s Seattle Central candidates forum (Image: CHS)

(Image courtesy Brett Hamil)

“She’s the number one reason why I’m even engaged in local politics. I think she’s changed the discourse in the city.”

Like any self-described “crackpot leftist,” Seattle comedian and writer Brett Hamil just can’t help but see the problems in our progressive city that’s growing wealthier by the day.

“You can either fester with those cruel ironies, or make them funny,” he said.

Hamil is putting that personal catharsis on display this week by playing host to his new talk show, billed as the first live political comedy show in Seattle.

It’s called The Seattle Process … let’s talk about it some more! The inaugural episode takes place October 21st at Northwest Film Forum. Tickets are available here.

The format will put a Seattle politico spin on the talk show setup, with guests, comedy sketches, and musical performances. Hamil’s first guest will be City Council member and District 3 candidate Kshama Sawant. While Hamil enjoys poking fun at the socialist City Council member on his YouTube channel, he’s also an unabashed supporter.

“She’s the number one reason why I’m even engaged in local politics,” Hamil said. “I think she’s changed the discourse in the city.”

Other candidates may make an appearance as well. According to Hamil, anyone running for office this year will get precisely one minute to address the audience. The “trio mouthy broads” over at Seattlish will also be on hand to share Halloween costume ideas inspired by local politics and Erik Blood will DJ the event and the after party at Vermillion.

A second show is being planned. But Sawant opponent and frequent Hamil target Pamela Banks isn’t on the planned guest list. Hamil says the candidate is welcome to the “one minute” opportunity at the October 21st show — provided she buys a ticket.

As for the name Seattle Process, Hamil said the city’s reputation for talking issues to death was the perfect fit for a talk show poking fun at it’s home city .

“It’s the softest fuck you ever,” he said. “Like the Seattle freeze — it’s things we’re totally guilty of and everyone knows it.”

Banks (Image: CHS)

22 things CHS heard at the candidate forums
Last week featured another set of appearances featuring Sawant and Banks, plus Position 8 candidates Tim Burgess and Jon Grant, and Position 9’s Lorena Gonzalez and Bill Bradburd galvanizing their bases and looking for incremental wins among the undecideds. CHS saw two of the appearances including Wednesday’s forum at the Seattle Public Library that was swift-moving and specific on issues like police reform and affordability and Thursday’s forum at Seattle Community College with questions submitted by students and more time allotted for responses.

1. All candidates were asked to weigh in on the City’s 9 1/2 block program, an initiative focused on curbing illegal activity in a concentrated area downtown. Gonzalez said the parts of the strategy that worked were those that activated dead spaces, but she wanted more information on what happened to those that were arrested. A former police officer himself, Burgess said the program was a success because it offered a continuum of services.
2. Bradburd wasn’t as supportive. “I can think of a lot of 9 1/2 blocks around this city,” he said. “All we’ve done has squeezed the balloon.” Grant was also skeptical, citing downtown business interests as the driving force behind the program.
3. Gonzalez, Bradburd, Grant all said they would support municipal broadband; Burgess wasn’t so sure. “It’s a nice concept, it all relates to how we finance it,” he said.
   

   Bradburd (Image: CHS)

4. Bradburd continued to position himself as the candidate that would stand up to developers and the Chamber of Commerce. “In this race, I am the independent voice,” he said.
5. “It’s only because I pushed my opponent to lift the ban that we got that passed,” Grant said in response to Burgess noting his role in passing the City Council’s rent control resolution.
6. The the status of police reform, Grant said “We have a real crisis and we need to bring true reform,” while Burgess argued, “We’re making progress, we still have a ways to go.”
7. One of the stranger moments in Wednesday’s debate came when Bradburd called out Gonzalez for not including white collar workers in her support for unionizing Uber drivers.
8. Bradburd: “Bertha is dumb.”
9. Burgess said he wants to drop citizen requirements for becoming a Seattle police officer or firefighter.
10. Grading SPD Chief Kathleen O’Toole, Bradburd gave her a B; Gonzalez gave her an A-.
    

    Gonzalez (Image: CHS)

11. Gonzalez and Bradburd agreed the city needs to use it bonding capacity to build affordable housing in a similar way that it builds stadiums.
12. None of the at-large candidates think the city has gone too far in “accommodating bikes”
13. When asked if a SoDo arena for pro basketball and hockey should be a city priority, Gonzalez, Bradburd, and Grant all said no while Burgess was undecided.
14. Sawant, who used to teach at SCC, said being back at the Broadway Performance Hall was like coming home.
15. Unlike past events, Banks opened up about her history, talking about her mother dying when she was just 2 years old.
16. In response to Sawant criticizing Banks for taking corporate campaign donation, Banks said, “I don’t want to get into where the money’s coming from, because that doesn’t drive me.”
17. Burgess and Harrell did not attend this forum. Grant and Morales did.
18. When asked about helping the district’s trans community, Banks said she wanted to learn more from what others needed. Sawant said she would work to build a movement for health care that would cover trans services.
19. Grant said outgoing council member Nick Licata was his main inspiration for running for office, saying Licata taught him “you can be a politician without having to compromise your values.”
20. Gonzalez told SCC students that she moved to Capitol Hill in 2002, where she rented a 1-bedroom apartment for $575 a month. “You cant find that in this neighborhood anymore,” she said. She bought a condo in West Seattle five years ago.
21. “I took the Seattle police department to the mat,” Gonzalez said in reference to a client she represented who sued SPD for civil rights violations.
22. Banks: “In the Central District and on Capitol Hill, small business is the economic driver.”